Discovery BoxPsalms 55:20
Context55:20 He 1 attacks 2 his friends; 3
he breaks his solemn promises to them. 4
Psalms 109:5
Context109:5 They repay me evil for good, 5
and hate for love.
Genesis 44:4
Context44:4 They had not gone very far from the city 6 when Joseph said 7 to the servant who was over his household, “Pursue the men at once! 8 When you overtake 9 them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?
Proverbs 17:3
Context17:3 The crucible 10 is for refining 11 silver and the furnace 12 is for gold,
likewise 13 the Lord tests 14 hearts.
Jeremiah 18:20-21
Context18:20 Should good be paid back with evil?
Yet they are virtually digging a pit to kill me. 15
Just remember how I stood before you
pleading on their behalf 16
to keep you from venting your anger on them. 17
18:21 So let their children die of starvation.
Let them be cut down by the sword. 18
Let their wives lose their husbands and children.
Let the older men die of disease 19
and the younger men die by the sword in battle.
[55:20] 1 sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.
[55:20] 2 tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”
[55:20] 3 tc The form should probably be emended to an active participle (שֹׁלְמָיו, sholÿmayv) from the verbal root שָׁלַם (shalam, “be in a covenant of peace with”). Perhaps the translation “his friends” suggests too intimate a relationship. Another option is to translate, “he attacks those who made agreements with him.”
[55:20] 4 tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”
[109:5] 5 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
[44:4] 6 tn Heb “they left the city, they were not far,” meaning “they had not gone very far.”
[44:4] 7 tn Heb “and Joseph said.” This clause, like the first one in the verse, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.
[44:4] 8 tn Heb “arise, chase after the men.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.
[44:4] 9 tn After the imperative this perfect verbal form with vav consecutive has the same nuance of instruction. In the translation it is subordinated to the verbal form that follows (also a perfect with vav consecutive): “and overtake them and say,” becomes “when you overtake them, say.”
[17:3] 10 sn The noun מַצְרֵף (matsref) means “a place or instrument for refining” (cf. ASV, NASB “the refining pot”). The related verb, which means “to melt, refine, smelt,” is used in scripture literally for refining and figuratively for the
[17:3] 11 tn The term “refining” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[17:3] 12 sn The term כּוּר (cur) describes a “furnace” or “smelting pot.” It can be used figuratively for the beneficial side of affliction (Isa 48:10).
[17:3] 13 tn Heb “and.” Most English versions treat this as an adversative (“but”).
[17:3] 14 sn The participle בֹּחֵן (bokhen, “tests”) in this emblematic parallelism takes on the connotations of the crucible and the furnace. When the
[18:20] 15 tn Or “They are plotting to kill me”; Heb “They have dug a pit for my soul.” This is a common metaphor for plotting against someone. See BDB 500 s.v. כָּרָה Qal and for an example see Pss 7:16 (7:15 HT) in its context.
[18:20] 16 tn Heb “to speak good concerning them” going back to the concept of “good” being paid back with evil.
[18:20] 17 tn Heb “to turn back your anger from them.”
[18:21] 18 tn Heb “be poured out to the hand [= power] of the sword.” For this same expression see Ezek 35:5; Ps 63:10 (63:11 HT). Comparison with those two passages show that it involved death by violent means, perhaps death in battle.
[18:21] 19 tn Heb “be slain by death.” The commentaries are generally agreed that this refers to death by disease or plague as in 15:2. Hence, the reference is to the deadly trio of sword, starvation, and disease which were often connected with war. See the notes on 15:2.
